Sean, visiting Lebanon from Portland, Oregon, enjoyed discovering the piano on his walk through the tunnel with baby Io. He appreciated the tunnel’s acoustics!
While Echinacea, Bee Balm. Queen Anne’s Lace, Lupine, lilies, and so many other flowers have passsed by, these late-blooming asters on the MRG Pollinator Corridor have become an important resource to a variety of pollinators. Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths, and flies are still looking for pollen and nectar and these asters are a welcomed bit of color, for humans too.
In spite of the frost, there are still flowers in bloom mid-October: Sunflowers, Garlic Chives, Black-eyed Susans, and Asters, to name a few. Bees, wasps, and other pollinators continue to visit our MRG Pollinator Corridor, such as this bee on a Wood’s Pink Aster at Dysfuntion Junction. (Intersection of Mechanic, Mascoma, High streets.)
Our 5th pilot orientation was held Wednesday, October 5th from 4:30-6pm at Eldridge Lot in Lebanon (between Jim Wechsler Field and Canillas Community Garden.) To learn more about the program and try out the trishaw! Sign up here to be notified of future orientation events.
Just a reminder that the MRG is a shared-use path; it is a place for EVERYONE, from the preschooler on a tricycle or balance bike, to a hard-of-hearing elder walking a dog . . . and everyone in between. It is not the place for speed training on skates or bikes. Slow down, say hello, and help make it enjoyable for everyone.
After years of stasis on making land in the Westboro Rail Yard publicly available, state and city officials last week met to talk over a potential sale of 6.7 acres of state-owned land along the Connecticut that could, at some point, become a park and provide a link through West Leb to the Mascoma River Greenway and Northern Rail Trail. They reached a tentative agreement, reports Patrick Adrian in the Valley News: The city will buy the land for an undetermined price, the state will remove existing contaminants. There is a long list of official sign-offs to come.
It has been several years since I”ve been able to get out to the western end of the MRG . . . and I had forgotten the wild beauty . . . who would guess there would be such vistas between Mechanic Street and Mascoma/Old Pine Cemetery Road?!?
Riverbend – looking North
Riverbend – looking South
Fields of Goldenrod – as far as the eye can see
How did I get there with my bone-on-bone knees? By Trishaw, piloted by a delightfiul pilot, Amy Chan. Amy is on the Board of the Northern Rail Trail; the NRT. has been collaborating with Lebanon Recreation, Arts, and Parks to bring the international program Cycling Without Age to Lebanon.
Trishaw Pilot Amy Chan
It was a beautiful day and Amy and I met at the MRG tunnel and headed west to the end at Glen Road. I wish I had taken photos of all the people we met along the trail! Lots of walkers and bikers, a scooter or two, babies and toddlers in strollers, and two little ones on their pedal-free balance bikes. There was so much to see, including this trailside Black Swallowtail caterpillar on Queen Anne’s Lace.
“The black swallowtail caterpillar feeds on many different plants in the Apiaceae, or carrot family, including Queen Anne’s lace, celery, parsley, carrots, dill, and parsnip.”
For those of us with mobility or stamina issues, this Trishaw program is a wonderful gift and it will be available as soon as Trishaw pilots have been trained. You can learn about becoming a Trishaw pilot and upcoming trainings by contacting Sean.dittrich@gmail.com. To support this program in other ways, contact Amyjwchan@gmail.com.
Thanks to Amy, the NRT, and Lebanon Recreation, Arts, and Parks for bringing this great program to Lebanon! Stay tuned for next steps once we have trained pilots . . . 30 volunteers have already signed up!
Thanks to grants from the AARP Community Challenge program and the Granite State Wheelmen, Friends of the Northern Rail Trail (FNRT) and Lebanon Recreation, Arts, and Parks have collaborated to bring Cycling Without Age to Lebanon’s MRG and NRT Trails. This international program connects volunteer cyclists with seniors and others with mobility restrictions to enjoy a ride on the Trails. We’re building our team of “pilots” now!
If you would like to learn more about becoming a trishaw pilot and upcoming trainings, contact Sean.dittrich@gmail.com
To support this program in other ways, contact Amyjwchan@gmail.com.
For a 3 min video introduction to the program, check out
These Girl Scouts from Troop 10659 were putting the finishing touches on the planter cubes by the MRG Pocket Park near the tunnel. It has been wonderful to see the continuing community spirit that is developing and enlivening the MRG!
The Mascoma River Greenway 